S-Class Dungeon’s Mistress - Chapter 45

Looking down, she saw the bewildered appearances of the Durahans. Some jumped with their arms outstretched, while others hurriedly ran away from the phoenix. As a race of faceless knights, they were used to expressing their feelings with exaggerated gestures instead of expressions.

“What is… Isn’t that the succubus that came last time?”

“No way! No way.”

A succubus riding a phoenix. Did that even make sense? The Durahans murmured. They didn’t want to believe what they saw in front of them because it reminded them of the past when they rejected her.

However, they had no choice but to accept it. Since such a dazzling appearance was not common, it was clear that she was the same demon.

“Is she here for revenge?” Someone whispered.

Then, the Durahans who rebuked Adelaide at that time argued with each other. However, even with all that commotion, Raham was nowhere to be seen.

“Master Adele, please give me your hand.”

Lisianthus, who got down first, held out his hand that wore a white glove. When Adelaide, who was about to descend the Phoenix, grabbed his hand, she suddenly fell down. It was because Caladium instantly returned to his humanoid form.

“You have to pay when you arrive, sir.”

Caladium wore a crooked smile and whispered. Adelaide, who unintentionally rested her cheek against his wide chest while he held her in his arms, squinted and stared at his face. She opened her mouth as she raised her hand towards his face.

“Tell me first before you transform! You surprised me.”

Juak. Adelaide pinched Caladium’s cheek and pulled. She then jumped out of his arms without hesitation. Caladium was fine even though she pinched his cheek, and followed her behind. He also didn’t forget to wear his hat just as Adelaide reminded him.

“Raham! Where are you? Raham!”

Adelaide looked around, searching for Raham. It wasn’t easy because the Durahans all looked similar. After looking around for a while, she couldn’t see the huge figure, so Adelaide grunted while pouting her lips.

“Really. Where did he go?”

“Hey, be honest. Aren’t you just delusional?”

“Isn’t he an imaginary friend you made up because you were lonely?” Caladium said sarcastically. Adelaide told him to stop playing around and stomped on Caladium’s foot. But instead of writhing in pain, he giggled, saying it tickled.

“Excuse me…”

They heard a small voice. As she turned her head, she saw a Durahan. The Durahan, who hesitated beside Adelaide as she looked for Raham, seemed smaller than the others of its kind.

“By any chance, are you looking for Raham? A big Durahan?”

Caladium frowned at the low voice. Unable to stand the frustration, he opened his mouth in annoyance.

“I don’t know that that’s why we’re ask-… Eup!”

“Yes! A large Durahan, Raham!”

Adelaide covered Caladium’s mouth and answered. She didn’t know why he was acting like this. She clicked her tongue inwardly.

“Do you know where he went?”

“Uh-huh… That’s right, but…”

The Durahan mumbled and looked around. His voice was so low that it was difficult to understand what he was saying.

Caladium bit his lip as he held back his annoyance. Adelaide would hate him if he went and grabbed the guy by the neck and shook him, telling him to get to the main point.

“I can’t say it here, it’s a bit…”

“Oh, then, shall we talk about it somewhere else?”

Adelaide, who barely knew him, kindly suggested. The small Durahan nodded his head timidly.

‘Why is he so shy?’

Adelaide led the small Durahan to the other side and glanced back at him. Come to think of it, from the moment she called Raham’s name, the other Durahans made strange expressions. There seemed to be something going on as they kept whispering to each other while they looked at her.

They soon moved towards the large trees away from the other Durahans. At that moment, the little Durahan’s body seemed to have calmed down a little. After hesitating for a while, he finally spoke.

“Actually, everyone hates talking about Raham.”

“Why? Did he do anything wrong?”

“He didn’t seem bad.” Adelaide murmured. When she went there before, Raham appeared to be quite popular. Even though they were angry at her, the other Durahans immediately bit their mouths at his words, almost like a captain.

“A mistake… Yes. He made a mistake.”

The Durahan who had been contemplating for a while, raised his voice as if he had made a decision.

“He fell in love with a Harpy at first sight.”

Adelaide’s eyes widened.

Caladium murmured, “Wow, he hit a goal.” and even Lisianthus who was rarely surprised cleared his throat.

Falling in love with another race wasn’t a problem. However, if the race was a harpy, that was a different story. Harpies were originally a heavenly race.

Very rarely, heavenly people, whose souls were corrupted for whatever reason, would lose most of their power and fall into the Demon Realm. Harpies in the Demon Realm were one of them. They couldn’t be called Heavenly people anymore, but they also couldn’t be called Demons, so they were usually referred to as monsters.

However, treatment towards them was not as good as normal monsters. Most demons hated harpies. It wouldn’t be shocking to say that heavenly people who dared to set foot in the Demon Realm were killed on site.

The few harpies who survived were sometimes made into slaves, because most of them had beautiful appearances. But it was difficult to say that their life was better than those who died.

Whether they were dead or alive, monsters from heaven who entered the Demon Realm were shunned, and those who approached them were treated the same.

‘But he fell in love with a harpy.’

Adelaide smacked her lips. It was obvious what had happened. The Durahans freezing upon hearing Raham’s name was proof of that. He would not have been able to avoid being accused of blasphemy.

“Was Raham kicked out for that reason?”

Adelaide asked with a cold expression. There was anger in her slightly trembling voice.

It wasn’t that she had good feelings towards the harpy whom she had never met. It was just demon nature to be reluctant of them because they came from Heaven. Still, she couldn’t help but get angry because she also went through a lot of humiliation because she was a succubus.

Was she that foolish to question her innate nature? Race was not a choice, and neither was love.

“Just because he loved a harpy? He was a colleague whom you’ve all been with all this time!”

“No, no! Not just for that!”

The little Durahan hurriedly shook his head. Without a face, only his neck moved around.

“Raham didn’t just fall in love, he also went to a high-level dungeon to save the harpy. Then they got caught, we didn’t kick him out!”

“He was caught in a dungeon…?”

“Yes. That harpy is really pretty. She had an owner. It was the owner of Sol Dungeon. Casa del Sol, haven’t you heard of it? It’s famous.”

It was the first time she had ever heard that name. The competent manager, Lisianthus, immediately started explaining.

“It’s a pretty popular dungeon in Kronatan.”

“Better than the Boraca Dungeon?”

“They’re leagues apart.”

When Boraca was mentioned, Caladium wrinkled his brows as if he was annoyed just from hearing the name.

“Boraca Dungeon is famous in the south of Kronatan, but it is only an E-class dungeon. Most of the famous dungeons in Kronatan are in Esperanza, the West.”

Esperanza was a region in Kronatan that was famous for having the most concentration of magic as well as frequent battles. After the ruler who stayed there over a hundred years ago disappeared, a bloody battle to take possession started, and had yet to end until now. However, since so many demons gathered there, it became a symbolic area in Kronatan.

“The Sol Dungeon is a pretty famous dungeon in Esperanza. It’s not the best, but it’s just a little below that.”

“What class is it?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but it’s probably at the very least a C-Class.”

A C-Class. It was a level that seemed far away from the current Adelaide. It wouldn’t be easy, unless they were brave enough to break into such a huge place.

“However, the most prominent reason Sol Dungeon is famous is not because of its class”

Lisianthus paused for a moment. Somehow, he seemed hesitant to speak in front of her.

Then, the Durahan quickly said.

“It’s because of the circus. The one called Casa del Sol.”

“A circus?”

Adelaide asked if she had heard it wrong. The Durahan nodded his head and answered.

“Yes, a circus. But it’s not a circus with animals.”

“Then what…”

Adelaide stiffened as she spoke. “I can’t believe it,” she said, contempt flashing over her face.

The Durahan fired the confirmation shot.

“They take in weak monsters or demons. The content is also very provocative and brutal. That’s how they made it fun. Most of them are slaves and that harpy was one of them.”

It wasn’t Raham’s courage, but his anger that overcame fear. Adelaide clenched her fist tightly. She only just found out, but she could feel her arms trembling.

Lisianthus could tell and therefore stopped talking to her. Among those ‘weak demons’, there must have been a succubus or an incubus. Perhaps, people were interested in seeing their beautiful appearance contort as they screamed.

“Raham failed to get the harpy out. So they both became a toy. I didn’t tell the other Durahans, but I think it’s a pity…”

“Raham was the only good demon who did not ignore me for being small.” The Durahan lowered his eyes and muttered.

“But, the other Durahans are angry because Raham didn’t listen to them. They were ashamed because someone from the proud Durahan race joined the circus. Besides, Raham did things recklessly without telling us ahead of time.”

“…Okay. Thanks for telling me.”

Adelaide, who was silent for a moment, said calmly. The Durahan’s gestures were noticeably brighter at her thanks. He spoke in a voice full of anticipation.

“Hey, are you here to take Raham? As a demon member?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Well, then, you’ll need to take another demon instead of him…”

The Durahan broadened his chest. However, before he could say “How about me?’ Adelaide beat him.

“No, I don’t need another one.”

“W-Why? Aren’t you here because you need a Durahan?”

Adelaide resolutely shook her head.

“No. I’m here because I need Raham.”

“…!”

“So I don’t think we need to stay longer. Let’s go back, guys.”

She turned her around with no regrets.

The Durahan wondered if she lied because she didn’t like him, or whether she would go and sign a contract with another Durahan after she said that.

Whether it was true that she wanted Raham or not, Adelaide quickly boarded Caladium who had already turned into a phoenix. Without giving the other Durahans another glance.

Then, as quickly as Adelaide and her companions had come, they disappeared. It was as if a storm had raged for a moment and then disappeared in an instant.

The little Durahan wanted to tell her to take him too before she left, but he didn’t have the courage to say anything.

Just like when Raham was reviled for something he did even though he wasn’t wrong.